What formal qualifications and/or previous work experience did you need to get your job? 

I had my degree plus 1 year experience on a GIS graduate scheme with a civil engineering contractor. However, my colleagues come from a range of backgrounds including computer science, geology, environmental science, maths and physics. 

Apart from formal qualifications, what other skills or characteristics do you need in your role? 

Data analysis, programming, and being able to work in a team are key. On projects, I am rarely working solely by myself; project teams tend to consist of a program manager, cloud engineer, and multiple analytical developers. So while I have my independent tasks, I need to integrate into the whole piece which is where communication is important. An eye for details, and proactiveness are always good to have too. Deadlines and key milestones need to be met so workload and time management are always helpful. 

Do you travel, either within the UK or overseas, in your role? How often? 

1-2 times a year for conferences/training, which can be international. As a technical, non-customer facing role, 95% of my time is work from home. 

Do you work a regular length day/week, or are shifts involved? 

Regular 37.5 hour week, overtime is rare.  

What advice or extra information do you wish you’d had before starting this career? 

Before starting, I didn’t know that this role or industry existed (I never saw remote sensing at geology career fairs) and had a very basic understanding of programming and best practises. Whilst my company have been great with offering training and letting me learn on the job, I wish I had had a better foundational knowledge, such as having a few lectures at university about programming with an earth science focus, especially as this is the direction the industry is heading toward.